Partnership
by OwlIs
Summary: A business trip to California has Oliver less than thrilled. Especially since it involves a certain genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist. Felicity on the other hand couldn't be more excited to meet her technological idol. With human traffickers on the loose, it isn't long before the Arrow makes an appearance in Malibu. Established Olicity.
1. Chapter 1

**I know I'm breaking a lot of barriers between DC and Marvel here, but I couldn't help myself! This is a bit AU on both accounts- Tony is still somewhat involved in Stark Industries and Oliver still owns/has just gotten back QC. I would love to hear what you think!**

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"I really don't want to be here." Oliver said briskly as Diggle pulled up to Stark Industries.

"Come on. I know you were forced to come here by the stockholders, but this is going to be fun!" Felicity exclaimed, looking out the window like an overenthusiastic puppy.

"We're attending a weeklong business conference with one of the most well known dysfunctional men on the planet. This is going to be far from fun." Oliver stated flatly.

Felicity scoffed. "Please. Like you don't already know that the two of you are basically the same person."

Diggle chuckled to himself silently, and even Oliver allowed the corners of his mouth to tip upwards. "How do you figure that?"

"Isn't it obvious? Both of you were born into privilege, grew up spoiled rotten, went through a traumatic experience, came out better people, and now work to protect others. The only difference I see is that you run around wearing a hood and he goes flying around announcing to the world that he's Iron Man."

"Which breaks the number one hero rulebook." Oliver stated.

Felicity gave him an exasperated look. "Like you've never broken the rulebook before?"

"She has a point you know." Diggle said.

"Why are you so excited to be here anyway?" Oliver asked pointedly. "You're going to be posing as my executive assistant and taking notes on boring business matters. And it's not like we've never been to California before."

A small blush came up to Felicity's cheeks as she glanced at the floor. "Just because."

"Please tell me you know her better than that Oliver." Diggle said. "What's Felicity's biggest passion?"

"You mean besides spending time with me?"

Felicity scowled. "There's more to life than you Oliver."

"Technology." Oliver answered.

"And what's Stark Industries known for?" Diggle asked, spoon feeding his boss the answer.

"A CEO with a record amount of sexual harassment lawsuits against him." Oliver said plainly. "That's nothing to get excited about. He was worse than me in my prime and that's saying something."

Felicity groaned. "Stark Industries is the leader in computers, energy efficiency, and everything technology related. And we're going to be in a meeting with the man behind all of it. This is one of the most exciting moments in my history! Not to mention that I'll be able to see first hand the security system that would help me with our nighttime activities _exponentially_,"

Oliver scoffed. "He's not that great."

"Well, not as great as you, but he's pretty cool. He created a new element for goodness sakes! And he's an Avenger! Don't tell me that you wouldn't love to meet the Hawkeye. Think about how much he could teach you-"

"I would be the one doing the teaching with that guy." Oliver scowled. "I didn't see him get stranded on an island for five years."

"I can't believe you still have the guts to accuse Mr. Stark of being immature when you act like this." Felicity said.

The banter came to a stop as Diggle put the car in park. "Ready to go?"

Oliver's monotone "no" arrived at the same time as Felicity's excited "yes," and Diggle had a feeling that this meeting would not go well. "At the very least you two could be on the same page." He muttered as they got out of the car.

A valet took the car for them as they entered the building, Felicity gazing up at the entire structure like it was Heaven itself.

"Did you see the clarity of that receptionist's computer?" Felicity cooed after they had checked in. "I want one."

"No."

Felicity glared as they entered the elevator. "You try saying that later tonight and see how it goes for you."

"Can you hold that please?" A man called out, a few feet away.

Oliver held his arm out as the man ran into the elevator.

Short with dark hair and eyes, the man loosened the collar of his shirt. "Thanks,"

"Are you Happy Hogan?" Felicity asked, eyes widening.

The man stared at Felicity curiously, a dozen questions passing through his head. "Who's asking?"

"Felicity Smoak," She introduced, holding out a hand. "I work with Queen Consolidated and I couldn't help but recognize you from your profile picture online as the head of Mr. Stark's security, which is fantastic by the way, am I correct?"

Happy nodded, a look of amusement on his face as he shook his hand. "Pleasure to meet you Ms. Smoak."

"Oh, the pleasure is all mine." Felicity babbled excitedly. "Stark Industries is known for their state of the art security system. All of the computers and security cameras are practically unhackable. I really admire you work. If you had a few spare minutes sometime, I was hoping that you could give me a tour, maybe show me a couple of the systems you use?"

Happy smiled, chuckling. "I hate to disappoint, but I'm afraid that I don't know as much about technology as you think. I get the technology from Tony, er Mr. Stark, he shows me how to use them, and that's about it."

"Oh, you wouldn't have to do much. I'd just like a peek at the system."

"I'm not sure that's such a great idea." Oliver interrupted, before Happy could answer. "Oliver Queen,"

"Oh, you must be here for the conference today Mr. Queen." Happy said, shaking Oliver's hand.

Oliver nodded. "Of course. And this is my bodyguard, John Diggle."

"Nice to meet you," Diggle said.

"I used to be Mr. Stark's bodyguard." Happy said. "Quite the job, eh?"

Diggle nodded, a smile on his face. "I have a feeling that we could swap a number of interesting stories about our work?"

Happy laughed as the elevator doors opened. "If the news stories are any indication, I'm sure. Well, this is my stop. It was nice meeting you all, hope to see you again."

"Goodbye!" Felicity said quickly as the doors closed. "Why did you sabotage my chance to get into the Stark system?"

"You don't need to be poking around here." Oliver said.

"Like this place is any more dangerous than Starling."

"I don't trust any associates of Mr. Stark." Oliver said. "If he's still anything like when I met him,"

"Wait, you've met Tony Stark before?!" Felicity demanded, grabbing Oliver's arm. "What was he like? Was he as much of a genius as they say he is?"

"Hardly. He was too drunk to know the difference between right and left."

"Were you drunk with him?"

"Not as drunk as him."

Felicity scowled as the elevator doors reopened. "You can't judge him that harshly. You don't know what he's been through."

"And he doesn't know what I've been through. Five years shipwrecked, remember?" Oliver asked. "The tabloids still spout the same stories about him even after he was kidnapped in Afghanistan."

"Well clearly he changed enough to decide to become a hero like you. If you tried, I bet you two would be really good friends! I mean, I wouldn't go as far as to say you two would be bosom buddies, but at least nice enough to get invited to his mansion every once in a while for a dinner that you could conveniently bring me to and-"

"Bosom buddies?" Oliver asked, eyebrow arched.

Felicity blushed. "I was hoping you didn't hear that."

"I don't miss a word of your rambles anymore."

"And out of all that you decided to focus on bosom buddies? Not the fact that you should spend this time we have befriending Mr. Stark and getting an invitation to his mansion? I hear he has this amazing butler technology system. Some say it's only a rumor but I know if he wanted to he could make it if he wanted. They just think it's a rumor because he's never put it on the market, but if I made something like that I would never sell it."

"Felicity,"

"Let her have some fun Oliver," Diggle said quietly, as Felicity continued to babble Stark facts. "It's not everyday you meet your idol."

"I don't like how much she idolizes him." Oliver huffed.

"Do I sense a bit of jealousy?" Diggle asked. "You know that you're the only one she has eyes for."

"Hi, are you here for the conference?" A woman asked, smiling.

Oliver returned the smile. "Yes we are."

"Just down the hall. It will be the only door on your right."

"Thanks," Oliver looked at his IT girl, still rambling quietly to herself as she moved down the hall, eyes darting all over the place. "Felicity,"

"Oliver, did you see the size of their security cameras? They're so unobtrusive-"

"Felicity. The meeting?"

"Right. Calm Felicity." She took a few deep breaths before coming back to her senses. "Thanks."

The trio entered the conference room. There were a few other businessmen already there, standing and mingling amongst themselves. In the corner of the room by the window was a red head talking furiously on the phone.

"-attending this meeting! There are some very important people here and I don't care if you haven't finished calibrating your newest edition of the Iron Man suit you are going to be here in five minutes or I swear I am going to sell off all of your vintage cars!"

Felicity grabbed onto Oliver's arm again. "That's Pepper Potts, accounting personnel turned personal assistant turned CEO turned partner! She has access to all of Mr. Stark's technologies!"

"Felicity,"

"Hi, sorry about that. Tony is running a little late again, but he's going to be here, I assure you." The red head said, smiling. "Pepper Potts, Mr. Stark's partner,"

"Oliver Queen," Oliver said, shaking a hand.

"A pleasure,"

"And this is John Diggle, my bodyguard,"

Pepper's smile broadened as she shook Diggle's hand, thinking about Happy. "Nice to meet you, Mr. Diggle." Then she turned to Felicity. "And you are?"

"Felicity Smoak," She squeaked. "Nice to meet you,"

"Nice to meet you too Ms. Smoak."

"She's my executive assistant." Oliver said.

Pepper's smile softened as she realized how alike the trio was to her own little family. "So it's your job to keep this guy in line?"

Felicity nodded, finally coming out of her stupor. "Oh yes, every hour of every day."

Pepper laughed. "Believe me when I say that I know how demanding of a job it is."

"I believe you."

"Can I get any of you some coffee or tea? Mr. Stark should be arriving shortly."

"Coffee would be nice." Oliver said with a smile. "Thanks,"

"I'm fine." Felicity said. The moment Pepper left the room Felicity glared at Oliver. "Seriously? You had the Pepper Potts get you coffee?"

"You rarely do for me."

"And that's never going to change." Felicity said stubbornly.

Suddenly, a rush of air zipped through the window, shattering it completely and sending glass in all directions.

Oliver jumped in front of Felicity, bracing himself for a fight.

Iron Man stood in the middle of the wreckage, eyes glowing, hands full with a red heart box and wind-blown roses. After a few moments, he walked through the room, ignoring everyone.

A few of the businessmen left with him, grumbling about ruined outfits and promised lawsuits, and a few gazed on in shock or amazement. Felicity was one of the latter.

As Tony strut across the room, not caring to apologize for the disturbance, Oliver's opinion of him dropped. "We're leaving."

"What? No!" We can't leave now!" Felicity cried.

"Do you really think he changed? After seeing that stunt? He clearly doesn't care about anyone but himself!" Oliver hissed.

"Forget about that then. You're here for business, business that you need for your company!"

"I don't care about the business if it puts you in danger."

"Like I'm not already in danger by working for you at night." Felicity huffed quietly, storming out of the room.

Oliver groaned, unsure of what to do. He really did need the business Stark Industries offered and he wanted to respect Felicity's desire to meet her idol, but at the same time he wanted nothing more than to sling Felicity over his shoulder and carry her back to Starling City.

Back outside, Felicity was in the middle of a fight with herself. The part of her that loved and admired Tony's intellectual abilities argued that there had to be more to the man who acted like he cared for nothing and no one, yet the rational part of her pointed out that Tony really was a loose cannon on more than one occasion and that Oliver was right.

She paced down the hall towards the window, when she heard Pepper's voice from behind one of the doors.

"Yes Tony, believe it or not, flying through the window of your company is not the right way to make an entrance!" Pepper yelled.

"But I brought you the flowers and chocolate. I also arrived in under five minutes." Tony pointed out. "Come on Pep, give me some credit."

"I give you the right amount of credit." Pepper huffed. "You know that you probably scared off over half of our patrons out there."

"Wasn't that the point?"

"No Tony! We need to find a few more companies to partner with and there are a good amount that can help boost our stocks."

"Our stocks really don't need any more boosting Pepper. Please. And with the whole Iron Man thing, we both could hypothetically retire and never work a day in our lives. My time with the Avengers and saving the world takes up enough of my day as it is without having to work with this bothersome company,"

"The company your father built up from the ground?" Pepper asked. "You made me CEO Tony. I have a job, a job I happen to be good at."

Tony sighed. "I hope I scared that Queen kid off."

"Why does Oliver Queen bug you so much? He seems like a nice guy."

"He's too much like me. Met him a few times, never been pleasant. I don't trust him."

"You don't trust anyone." Pepper said, amusement in her voice. "And you're right that he's too much like you."

Tony cocked his head. "What's that mean?"

"He has a body guard and an executive assistant."

"Like a lot of rich boys."

"A body guard who is introduced like family and an executive assistant once nothing more than another IT worker? Sound like another trio you know?"

Tony scoffed. "I don't intend on doing business with him."

"If he's all that's left, we may have no choice." Pepper said. "Now come on, let's go."

Felicity jumped back from the door, quickly pacing towards the window.

"Felicity?"

Felicity turned towards Oliver just as Tony and Pepper came out from the room. Tony's eyes instantly narrowed when he saw Oliver and vice versa.

"Tony," Pepper said, "this is,"

"Oliver Queen," Tony finished. "We've met."

"And this is John Diggle, his bodyguard, and Felicity Smoak, his executive assistant." Pepper introduced.

Tony gave a closed smile to Diggle, but it broke into a real one when his made eyes with Felicity. "Ms. Smoak, it's nice to meet you."

All of the arguments in Felicity's head from earlier vanished, leaving nothing but pure admiration. Felicity opened her mouth to speak but no words came out. She shook her head. "It's nice to meet you too Tony...Iron Man... Mr. Stark. Sorry. I have a tendency to babble when I'm nervous and I'm very nervous right now because I can't believe that I'm finally meeting you, you are like a huge role model for me and I think I should stop talking now."

Tony's smile widened a bit. "Well, the feeling's mutual Felicity. And you can call me Tony."

Oliver cleared his throat. "If you wouldn't mind, I'd like to get down to business."

Pepper nodded. "Of course. We'll move into another conference room. Is there anybody else-"

"Two," Oliver answered.

"Well, we're down from six to three. I guess it you didn't do too much damage Tony." Pepper said. "Now let's get started."

Throughout the meeting, there was a four way staring matching between Tony, Pepper, Oliver, and Felicity. Tony would listen half-heartedly to the conversation before bestowing his signature smirk to Felicity, making her blush in the way Oliver loved. In turn, Oliver retaliated with a fierce glare at Tony and Pepper, seeing that Tony wasn't paying attention, to kick his feet under the table and stare knowingly. The square stare left Diggle the freedom to sit back and watch the entire thing with thinly veiled amusement. Such children, he thought with a shake of his head.

"Well, I must say that this was a very pleasant meeting." Tony said, sitting up from his chair and adjusting his tie.

"Funny. I didn't think you were paying much attention." Oliver noted coldly.

"I have Pepper to do that for me." Tony replied with a wave. "Now Felicity, tell me. What exactly has you so interested in Stark Industries?"

Felicity smiled. "Ever since I was little, I've loved computers. And of course, Stark Industries is the leading company in that. Your work has always fascinated me."

"I live to impress." Tony replied.

Pepper walked over to the two quickly followed by Oliver. "It was a pleasure meeting you all." She said. "How would you like to join us for dinner tonight?"

Oliver and Tony quickly mumbled excuses, while Felicity brightened. "Of course! That sounds amazing!"

"How about at six?"

"We're a bit busy," Oliver said.

"Yes, and I have a suit to recalibrate." Tony added.

"That sounds lovely." Diggle said. "We'll be there."

Pepper smiled. "Great. We'll see you then."

Felicity dragged an angry Oliver at her arm, leaning contentedly on his shoulder as they entered the elevator. "That was a great meeting."

"You know I don't trust Stark!" Oliver complained.

"Well I trust his partner, Pepper. She seems like a wonderful person, doesn't she?"

"You just want a chance to see Stark's mansion."

"That won't hurt, but this also won't hurt our chances at gaining the support of Stark Industries." Felicity reasoned.

Oliver sighed. "You're going with or without me I assume?"

"You would assume correctly." Felicity said, giving Oliver a quick kiss. "I love you for giving me some freedom here."

"I know how important this is for you."

"Good. This will be a nice change from working in the foundry all night!"

"That is, if we can prevent from running into any trouble." Diggle noted. "What are the odds of that?"


	2. Chapter 2

**So who else was a nervous wreck after Uprising?! I agree with those who believe that Felicity was right to deny Oliver- it was totally true to character. All of the woman Oliver have loved have been killers and Felicity is amazing because she's different and innocent. Oliver had that kicked puppy look that made me want to cry, but Felicity was right. He needs to work out his history with women before they can get together.**

**A big thanks to both guests, MissRavenclawxoxo****, AlwaysOlicitySC, redeeminglove, and chaimae who reviewed! And to answer chaimae's question, yes, Oliver and Felicity are a couple. I tried to make it a bit more obvious this time through. Enjoy and please leave your thoughts!**

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For the life of her, Felicity could not decide what to wear. It was dinner, which was much more formal and elegant than lunch and typically demanded a fancy dress, but Felicity knew that she couldn't zip around the Stark mansion and examine every wire and circuit board in a dress. And then there was the fact that a majority of her dresses tended to land on the short side.

"What are you guys wearing tonight?" Felicity asked, walking into the other room.

"Suit and tie," Diggle answered, looking at Oliver. "I assume you're doing the same?"

Oliver nodded and Felicity groaned. "You men all wear the same thing. At least suits have pants."

"Why are you so worried about this?" Oliver asked. "It's just an outfit."

Only Felicity noticed the twinkle in his baby blues. "Come on. You grew up with Thea, fashion queen. Literally in her name. You're better at this type of thing." Oliver raised an eyebrow and Felicity pushed down a blush. "Not that I'm implying anything, I just mean that you have more experience...that didn't come out right. You know more dressy dinner parties than I do."

Felicity turned back to her closet, still stressing over the outfit. A dress would fit the mood better, but then which dress?

"Here, wear this one." Oliver plucked Felicity's dark blue, sleeveless dress. It had a chic band across the middle and a jeweled collar. "Dark to match the time, length not too short so you can run around the house and not too long to trip over, modest neckline but you still look sexy as hell." Oliver smiled. "Plus it matches my tie."

Felicity grinned slyly. She loved that she was always able to tell when Oliver was holding back. "Now was that so hard Mr. Queen?"

Oliver grinned as he slid his arm around Felicity's waist. "Not particularly. Though I must say that those aren't the only reasons I want you in that dress Ms. Smoak."

"Wow. So this is happening," Felicity babbled even as Oliver leaned down. "You have no idea how many times I dreamed about this. Not in the creepy way but-"

"Felicity,"

"Shutting up now."

Diggle only smiled as the two kissed, suddenly deciding to take a quick walk around the hotel. They deserved to be happy. He just hoped that their happiness would make it through the dinner at the Stark household. Making out Olicity was much better than arguing Olicity.

The trio made their way to up the Stark mansion in mostly good spirits. Even Oliver was in a neutral mood that didn't involve the desire to launch an arrow through anyone.

Felicity glanced up at the Malibu mansion in awe, excitement covering her entire frame. She could hardly believe that she was outside Tony Stark's house, about to enter the Iron Man Cave. She was the one to ring the doorbell, and an automated voice echoed from inside.

Felicity let out an excited squeal and clung to Oliver's arm for the third time that day. "I knew it was more than a rumor!"

Oliver stared at Felicity in amusement as Pepper answered the door.

Pepper was dressed in a stunning red gown that touched the floor with a bedazzled bodice. "Well, don't you all look nice?" She exclaimed with a graceful smile. "Please, come in. Dinner will be ready in about a half hour so we can congregate to the living room."

"Do you know the exact temperature outside?" Felicity asked quickly.

"Um, I'm not sure." Pepper admitted. "Jarvis?"

"The approximate temperature in Malibu is sixty-two degrees, Ms. Potts." An electronic voice stated.

Felicity nearly jumped out of her skin with excitement. "Is that Mr. Stark's intelligence system?"

Pepper nodded. "Yes, that's Jarvis."

"I'm happy to be of assistance." Jarvis stated.

"So is he basically like a talking computer then? And what why the name Jarvis? Does it stand for something? Or is he named after someone in particular?" Felicity asked.

Oliver sighed. "Felicity,"

"It's fine." Pepper assured. "He's artificial intelligence, so he can understand sarcasm, which is something no other computer can do. And Jarvis stands for 'just a rather very intelligent system.'"

Felicity laughed. "That's a good one."

"It sounds like someone couldn't think of a name." Oliver muttered under his breath. Felicity elbowed Oliver in the ribs, prompting him to smile. "Thanks for the invitation Ms. Potts."

"No problem and it's Pepper. I've been meaning to have company over for some time now. It's nice to finally have some guests over who don't run around breaking everything they touch."

Oliver just laughed. "Is Tony that much of a handful?"

"It's more so his friends." Pepper replied. "Last time Bruce destroyed half of the basement, Natasha set off an explosion down the hall, Thor broke too many of the electronics to count, and Clint sliced the TV in half with one of his arrows."

"Sounds like you have a handful," Diggle said.

"And a clumsy archer," Oliver added, sneaking an I-told-you-so glance at Felicity.

"It's so cool that you know the Avengers." Felicity remarked. "It must be such an exciting life."

"Dangerous and out of control, definitely." Pepper said, leading the group to the couch. "But worth every second. I'm sorry about the wait. We had a small, um, mishap."

"I believe the more appropriate term would be explosion." Jarvis corrected.

"And there's that sarcasm I was talking about earlier." Pepper said.

"Is everything okay?" Diggle asked.

"Oh yes, don't worry. More destructive things have happened in this house and the tower in New York. Especially the tower. Tony thought he could cook again and it didn't go very well."

Diggle raised his eyebrows. "What was he trying to make?"

"Pasta."

Oliver laughed.

"Like you could do much better. When's the last time you made a meal that wasn't made by Raisa?" Felicity dared.

"I believe that was a few weeks ago. Remember, after we attended that charity benefit for QC?"

"Right. That banquet." Felicity said, trying not to reminisce too much on the banquet that involved an unorthodox amount of back room time with Oliver. She cleared her throat. "So, what are we having instead?"

"We're ordering in. I hope you don't mind."

"That's perfectly fine." Diggle assured.

"Where's Tony?" Felicity asked, curiosity getting the best of her.

"When it comes to getting ready, Tony can be more of a diva than me." Pepper answered apologetically.

"I believe Mr. Stark is in the basement." Jarvis corrected.

"Oh. Well then, I think I should go get him,"

"Can I go?" Felicity interjected. "I mean, I won't if you don't want me to. But based off of the amount of time he spends in his house and his anxiety and paranoia, I speculated that Tony would do most of his work in his house. And the basement seems as good of a place to do that. At least, if I were him, I would. It's secluded, underground, and overall the perfect spot to work on secret projects, not that I would know anything about that. I just do a lot of research. Not in the creepy way though." She only stopped when Oliver placed his hand over hers.

Pepper appeared hesitant. "Jarvis, could you ask Mr. Stark-"

"On it Ms. Potts."

"We understand if Tony would like his privacy." Oliver said.

"Oh definitely! I know I wouldn't want any stranger poking around my basement. I just had to ask you know,"

"Mr. Stark said that it he would permit Ms. Smoak to enter the basement with him." Jarvis announced.

"Well, you're free to go down then." Pepper said. "Just come be sure to come back up in the next half hour. The basement door is right over there."

"Of course! I promise! I'll be back." Felicity jumped up from the couch and ran in the direction of Pepper's extended finger.

"I'm sorry if it's a problem." Oliver said. "She's just always admired Tony because of his knowledge with technology. I've never really been able to get into that type of thing though."

"Believe me, I understand." Pepper promised. "When Tony becomes immersed in a project, it's like nothing else exists. I can't understand half of what he ever says about it, but I always listen."

Oliver smiled, surprised at the common ground between them. Both were in love with technological geniuses. The obsession with all things computerized was a world in its own right, a world they could never enter. "So how many times does Tony rant about the proper type of electronics?"

Down in the basement, Felicity was in absolute awe of Tony's workshop. "I can't believe you built all of your suits down here!"

Tony nodded, a look of admiration aimed at the young woman. "This is where all the magic happens."

"Ever since I was little I looked up to you." Felicity admitted. "You're the reason I chose to attend MIT."

"Why didn't you ever apply for a job at Stark Industries?"

"I wanted to get some experience before I applied." Felicity said shyly. "I grew up in Las Vegas. My mom was a high school drop out. She doesn't even know how to text properly. When I graduated, I did a little networking and realized that I knew someone who could get me a job at Queen Consolidated, so I took it."

"Do you ever regret it?"

Felicity shook her head. "Never."

"And I'd imagine that a job offer right here right now would do nothing to change your mind?"

"As flattered as I am by the offer, I'd have to decline. Starling City is my home."

Tony nodded. "I understand. With your nighttime activities with Mr. Queen, I'd imagine that you'd miss the excitement, though I can assure you that Malibu and New York have their own problems."

Felicity scrunched her eyebrows. "What are you implying?"

"I'm implying that I know everything about you. You don't think I'd let you into my basement without a thorough background check, do you? I know you've done extensive research on me." Tony said. "It really wasn't that hard to connect the dots once I hacked into your computer system back home. It was a bit difficult, but I managed. And it doesn't take a genius IQ to realize that your computer activity comprises of all things Green Arrow. I considered your relationship with Oliver, his time on that island, and voila. Green Arrow identity revealed."

"Was it really that easy?"

"Easy for me. Easy for the rest of the world? Not so much. Your security is quite impressive, I must say. And that hacking bug you created in college? Genius."

Felicity blushed at the comment. "Thanks. You aren't going to tell anyone about Oliver are you?"

"No. Though personally I think that the whole secret identity thing is ridiculous. I've done a fine job staying alive and being Iron Man. But I would recommend upgrading your system."

"That's part of the reason I wanted to meet you. You work the security system for SHIELD, which is virtually unhackable. I was hoping for a few pointers."

Tony grinned like the Cheshire cat. "I can do you one better."

Twenty minutes later, Pepper and Oliver trudged down the stairs to find Tony and Felicity hunched over their respective computer, each typing furiously. "What happened to coming back in twenty minutes?" Pepper asked.

The duo finally looked up, guilt and reluctance coating their faces. "Sorry Pepper. I lost track of time." Felicity apologized.

"Do we really have to eat?" Tony asked.

"Yes, you do. The Chinese food arrived. Time to come up." Pepper said.

Tony groaned as Felicity quickly got up after a few more clicks.

"What were you two working on in there?" Oliver asked with a smile. Felicity seemed overwhelmed with happiness.

"I was helping Tony with a little human trafficking problem he has in the city. You know Malibu. Rife with crime and criminals and human traffickers. Do you think human traffickers are bad enough to deserve their own category like terrorists? Because I think they do."

"Why were you working on human trafficking with Tony?" Oliver asked.

"Well, it wasn't with Tony. Tony was working on his own project. We were multitasking. And I was pulling up information about them so Tony can take them down later."

"I didn't think the Avengers went after people like that." Diggle noted. "Thought terrorists and world dominators were more their type."

"We do. But Ms. Smoak here suggested that in my free time, rather than upgrading my suits, I could be taking down local criminals." Tony explained. "Not a bad idea, I suppose. Wouldn't mind practicing my aim."

"You would not believe how secure our system is. Ooh! And we have access to all the SHIELD database thanks to Tony." Felicity informed Oliver. "He also upgraded our system and-"

"You let him in our computer system?" Oliver asked.

"He already knew that you were the Green Arrow so,"

"What do you mean he already knew?" Oliver glanced nervously at the fellow billionaire.

"Before we came tonight, he did his research on us. He hacked into my computer, which really shouldn't be a surprise when you think about it, since he hacked into SHIELD, and realized that you were the Arrow. He won't tell anyone, he swore. And now nobody can get into our system. Did I mention that we have complete access to the SHIELD database so next time we come across one of the bad guys, I can find out everything about him if he has prior history." Felicity said quickly. "Isn't that great?"

Oliver scowled. "I don't like him knowing."

"He would have figured it out if we had come or not."

"That man knows nothing about keeping a secret."

"Well we have to trust him."

"If you're debating about Tony's trust, you don't have to worry." Pepper said, jolting the two lovebirds out of their little argument. "I know Tony puts on a bad face for the press and to the majority of the world's population, but he will not reveal your secret."

"What's for dinner again? I'm starving." Tony said, giving Oliver the I'll-drop-it-if-you-will face.

"Chinese." Pepper answered. "If we're still having dinner?"

"We are." Diggle replied, glancing at his friends. Then, whispering to Oliver he said, "Felicity's right. And if anything, you can trust Pepper."

Oliver forced a smile. "Chinese sounds great."

Tony smirked. "Great! Then, I suppose-"

"Sir? One of the alarms on the east entrance has been activated." Jarvis announced.

"I'm going to say that's not an animal." Felicity assumed as Tony walked over to his TV.

"Jarvis, pull up the satellite feed." He ordered.

"Of course Mr. Stark."

An image of Tony's yard illuminated the screen- empty. "Something isn't right." Pepper said.

"You said you were hacking into the computers of nearby human traffickers?" Oliver asked.

"I-everything is secure if that's what you mean." Felicity said. "Tony updated his system-"

"Tony isn't perfect." Oliver snapped, heading to the door. "Diggle,"

Oliver's sentence was cut off by the sharp sound of shattering glass.


	3. Chapter 3

**Welcome back! Thanks for the great response and sorry it took this long. Life has gotten in the way again and the Muse, silent. Action scenes aren't exactly my forte, so I apologize in advance.**

**Just a note, this story takes place sometime before Iron Man 3, so Tony hasn't given out his house address yet like the sassy pants he is.**

* * *

Glass fell to the ground with four black-masked figures following close behind, guns drawn.

Oliver knocked Felicity behind the island with Diggle, Pepper, and Tony close behind as gunshots pierced the air. Once he knew everyone was safe, he ran for the sofa as the gunmen reloaded their clips.

Oliver charged the nearest gunman, throwing his gun away and bringing him to the ground. With a few quick punches, the man was out.

Behind the island, Tony gestured for his suit, and a dozen metal pieces flew through the air. Felicity let out a cry of surprise as the metal encompassed Pepper's body in a cocoon, with more beginning to surround Tony.

Oliver grabbed the gun and emptied the rest of the clip at the remaining gunmen.

"Get down!"

Oliver hit the ground as a beam of light shot out from Tony's hands, killing the first gunman instantly. Two more flashes and the fight was over.

Oliver slowly stood up, staring at the three bodies.

The Iron Man head lifted, revealing Tony's face. He nodded at the man Oliver knocked out. "Is he dead?"

"No." Oliver stepped in front of him. "And he's not going to be."

"That man just tried to kill us! You think he needs to be kept alive?"

"We can question him."

"So you want to torture him like an animal?" Tony asked, voice filled with disgust. "We both know what that's like. Better to put him out of his misery now."

"You're not killing this man." Oliver growled. "This is your fault that they came here in the first place. If you didn't have Felicity looking into that human trafficking deal,"

"Hey, we don't have time to play the blame game." Felicity popped out from the island, determination on her face. "All right, calm down. We almost got killed again, but that's no reason for us to kill each other. Tony, we have a pretty strict no killing policy in place currently and Oliver's not planning on breaking it for some soldier of a group of human traffickers. We're not going to torture him, but we can at least give it a shot at getting some information. Capiche?"

Neither Tony nor Oliver looked ready to step down.

"When did you get so good at debate?" Oliver asked, his gaze never leaving Tony's.

"Somewhere between the fifth and sixth Arrow emergency."

Oliver let out a low growl as he stepped back. "We're leaving."

"We need to work with Tony's computer system to retrace the location of the human traffic group,"

"We're leaving Felicity." Oliver interrupted. "And that's final."

"You can't make me." Felicity challenged.

"As you can see, Tony's more than capable of holding his own. He doesn't need our help."

"And I don't want your help." Tony added. "I never should have tried it your way."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Felicity demanded, turning on him. "We have to stop the men who sent those people."

"You can. I'm not." Tony said flatly, starting for the basement door.

"What? No. You don't get to walk away from this. We need your help to track these guys down." Felicity argued, walking after him.

"In case you haven't noticed, I don't work well with others."

"In case _you_ haven't noticed, Oliver doesn't either. You can't tell me that you don't want to save-"

"You don't get to tell me who to save and who not to." Tony said. "I can't go around saving everyone everywhere."

"I'm not asking you to, to save the universe! I'm asking you to finish what you started, to think about what I showed you about making a difference. Maybe this won't save the world, but it will save those who are suffering and being tortured by those men somewhere in the city. And we need you to stop it." Felicity pointed out.

For a moment, it looked like Felicity had gotten through to him, but then his face hardened. She recognized the careless, playboy face Oliver pulled for everyone. "I save the world. I can't save a small group of people."

"No, it's not that. You don't _want_ to save them."

"So what if I don't?" Tony challenged, taking a few steps forward.

Felicity was fearless as she stared him down, Iron Man suit and all. "Then you're not the hero I thought you were."

"That's enough." Oliver growled, stepping between the two. "If you're not going to help us, then we'll do it on your own."

"That's what I'm counting on." Tony said. He slapped his faceplate back shut, then took off, flying through the broken windows.

"I need some air."

Oliver grimaced as he watched Felicity leave for the car. He turned to follow but ran into Diggle.

"Let her go man." He said. "You don't want to be the recipient of her loud voice again."

"This is my fault for agreeing to bring her." Oliver argued.

"Everyone's disappointed by their hero some day Oliver. It was only a matter of time. Besides, we both know that you can't say no to her puppy eyes." Diggle pointed out.

Pepper sighed, shaking her head. "I'm sorry about the dinner. And for Tony."

"We know it's not your fault." Oliver said. "You must apologize a lot for him."

"He's a good man deep down." Pepper defended. "He just insists on the world seeing the worst side of him. He'll get over himself in a bit."

"We should really be going." Oliver stated. "We have some work to do."

Pepper smiled with understanding. "Here's my number, just in case you need it."

Oliver nodded, taking the Stark Industries business card. "Thanks."

He and Diggle made their way back out to the car, where Felicity was standing.

"Hey,"

Felicity looked up, a wry expression on her face. "I guess you were right."

"Not about everything." Oliver said, putting an arm around her. "We'll fix it. Tonight."

"I just, don't understand how he can be Iron Man, this amazing, American hero, and not want to help us. How he can't see that what we do is just as important as what he does. We may not save the world all the time, and by the world I mean nations and countries, not just one city, but we do make a difference." Felicity explained, gesturing. "I mean, with the kind of technology and power he has, he could expedite our mission so much-"

"You know it's not all about the technology right? We couldn't do this without you, but it's not all about having the best equipment, the smartest computer, the strongest security system. If it were, I would have died a million times over using only this bow and arrow." Oliver said quietly. "We've been doing this without Tony Stark. We don't need him to stop these guys."

Felicity nodded, a small smile forming. "You're right. Team Arrow doesn't need him."

Oliver chuckled at the name. Nothing could ever keep her down for long. "Let's take down the group of human traffickers."

* * *

**Sorry this was short, but it's just until the Muse returns. Hope this satisfied your curiosity for now! Happy Valentines Day!**


	4. Chapter 4

"Take a left up here. That should bring you right up to the docks." Felicity instructed, following the ping on her tablet. It only took one well placed tracking device on the last masked intruder to discover the human trafficker's hideout.

"This place reminds me of the docks in Starling." Diggle noted as they turned into the Malibu docks.

"The layout's a bit different. Here's the satellite image." Felicity said, passing her tablet around the car. "There are far more boats here than in Starling, and the docks are longer with a corner."

Oliver nodded. "Where are the girls being kept?"

Diggle pointed to one of the cargo boats on the satellite image. It was the only one big enough to be seen from the car.

"According to thermal satellite imaging, they should be in this boat here, probably near the bottom of the ship. I'll direct you once you're in. It looks like there's about twenty-three guards on the deck of the ship, as well as five more waiting for you on dock. I'll scatter the ones inside with a false alarm. As long as you take them out before they alert the guards on the inside it should be a clean in and out." Felicity said. "And I have the police number on speed dial. The moment you're out of there and have recovered the girls, send the word and I'll make the call."

"Do you know how much I love you?" Oliver asked, admiration and pride shining in his eyes. He was constantly reminded of how strong his IT girl was. Turning the disappointment of Tony Stark into motivation to run a mission in an unfamiliar city was just one incident that revealed Felicity's strength.

"Show me by coming back alive." Felicity said with a quick kiss. "Stay safe."

"We will." Diggle promised, nodding.

The two exited the car as Felicity furiously worked on her tablet. Oliver faded into the right shadows as Diggle melted into the left.

Diggle grabbed the first guard in a stranglehold while Oliver knocked out the second one.

"There's one more on your left." Felicity alerted.

Oliver sent an arrow flying around the third man, wrapping him up in wire. "Three down." He muttered.

The two disappeared into the night again before taking down the final two nearest to the boat's entrance.

"Okay, there are ten on the deck now. Just give me a second..." Oliver and Diggle heard the ship's emergency alarm pierce the night air. "In about ten seconds, they should all be scattered below deck, trying to find the source of the alarm."

"You're brilliant Felicity." Diggle praised as he and Oliver climbed on deck.

"My brilliance appreciates the remark Dig." Felicity said. "Take the door on the port side of the ship. That'll lead you to the girls."

"What do we do now?" Oliver asked as they ran through the door.

"Take a right. There will be a set of stairs at the end of the hall. Go down and take a left."

Yells and gunshots bounced around the staircase. "We're going to get some company." Diggle warned.

Five men poured out of the door at the bottom of the stairs as Diggle shot his gun and Oliver his bow. The duo's deadly precision brought all five men to their knees. "How many more do we got Felicity?"

"There are about ten more scattered below deck. You'll meet three of them guarding the girls."

Diggle nodded. "Roger that."

Adrenaline pumped through Oliver's veins as he nocked one of his explosive arrows. Tension rumbled through his arms as he and Diggle zipped down the hall.

The moment they turned the corner he released it, sending the bow flying to the feet of the three guards and exploding upon contact.

The explosion bowled the men over, leaving the doorway wide open.

Diggle tore the door open and Oliver nocked another arrow.

A large room spattered with young women sat on the other side. Their ages ranged from teenagers to women in their late twenties. All of them cowered away from the door, terrified at who the two strangers were.

"We're here to rescue you." Oliver announced. "Let's get out of here."

The women hesitated, all of them waiting for another to move first.

Finally one of them stepped forward. A short blonde with fearful blue eyes. "Are you the Arrow?"

Oliver nodded.

The blonde fled towards him, wrapping her arms around Oliver in a hug. "You saved my Dad during the fight with Brick."

Oliver placed his arms around the girl, shocked at the forwardness. "No problem?"

The girl pulled away and beckoned the others with a wave. "Thank you."

"We have to go now." Oliver said, unsure of what else to say. He left the room with Diggle, leading the group of women out to freedom.

"Guys, we're going to have company." Felicity warned.

Oliver whirled around, but saw no threat in sight. "What?"

"He's here."

"Who?"

Diggle actually heard the blonde gulp before answering. "Tony."

Oliver stiffened. "Is that supposed to be good news?"

"I don't know." Felicity admitted. "Just focus on the mission. There's a group of three headed down the stairwell."

"Stay here." Diggle ordered as he and Oliver entered the stairwell first.

The gun sat in Diggle's large hands, worn to the point where it fit perfectly. Diggle fired at the first man he saw, embedding a bullet into the shoulder. Another shot pierced the man's leg, incapacitating him. Bam. A second man fell, clutching his right calf.

Oliver's arrow sprung out from the third man's chest. The wound was inches from the heart, but far enough for the recipient to survive.

Oliver called to the group of women, yelling at them to follow.

The group raced up the stairs, Diggle and Oliver leading the pack.

Screams and shouts echoed from above deck, accompanied by the sound of pulsating blasts.

"Stark arrive?" Oliver grunted.

""The remaining seven guards grouped together on deck." Felicity stated. "He's taking them all out."

Oliver growled. "Don't come out until we come back." He told the women before pushing open the door to the deck.

A white blast sped past Diggle and Oliver, missing them by inches.

Among the smoke and fire from the electricity stood Iron Man, poised for a fight. The moment he saw Diggle and Oliver he pointed a finger at them. "Stay out of my way."

"Out of _your _way?" Oliver asked, threats and warnings dripping off his tone.

"I'm_ trying_ to help here." Tony said, sounding like a child forced to share a toy. He sent a blast of light into the last standing man. "I can't help if I kill you by mistake."

"Well you're a little late." Felicity's voice bounced through Tony as clearly as though it had been Jarvis to speak.

"Smoak? That you?" Tony asked, eyes darting around the charts in the suit.

"Thanks to your tutelage, I was able to hack into Jarvis's mainframe and access the speakers." Felicity explained. "I can't control the suit or anything, but I can leave you annoying messages and reminders."

Tony laughed. "Are you sure I can't get you to work for me?"

"Not a chance in hell." Oliver growled.

"As I said before," Felicity said, plowing through Oliver's remark, "I am truly honored. But Starling's my home. Not Malibu or New York or Vegas."

"Guess I'll need to set up shop in Starling then." Tony said, vying for a reaction from Oliver.

"Okay enough of the alpha male preening crap." Felicity interrupted. "You three need to get out of there. I have a phone call to the police I need to make."

"Seriously? You guys call in the police?" Tony asked.

"We can't take care of the girls like they can." Diggle said. "We just move the justice system along faster."

"This vigilantism thing is weird." Tony stated with a shrug. "Pizza back at my place!"

* * *

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Oliver asked, as Diggle drove up to Stark's Malibu mansion once more. He took Felicity's hand in his. "We don't owe him anything. We can drive away and forget Tony Stark ever exists. We can even buy some pizza on the way back home."

Felicity nodded with steel resolve. "I'm sure. Are you sure?"

"I'm not the one who was so disappointed."

"Well, he did help us."

"After blowing us off." Oliver reminded. "We're even up."

"Last chance to back out Felicity." Diggle announced as they pulled up the driveway.

"I'm good Dig."

The three exited the car. The front door opened before they even had a chance to knock, with a grinning Tony in the doorway. "Glad you could make it. Figured you might be hungry after all that work. Nothing like fancy pizza after a job well done." Tony scrunched up his nose. "Actually, there's nothing better than Schwarma's after a job well done, but this isn't New York so pizza will have to do."

Tony turned to Felicity. They all knew that more than pizza was being offered. "I owe you an apology."

Felicity snorted. "Mm hmm."

"A Tony Stark apology does not happen often." Tony stated. "I know I let you down. I was...childish, I'll admit. Maybe even in the wrong. We both have different styles of working, but that doesn't excuse the way I blew you off. So, I'm sorry."

Felicity stared hard at Tony. All of the playboy swagger was there, along with a hefty size of carelessness. It was a look Oliver could pull off in his sleep, a look that was nothing more than a mask now.

But on Tony the look seemed genuine. Oliver might wear the look as a cover, but not Tony. 90% of Tony truly was a carefree billionaire, who wanted the finest things in life. Even among the other Avengers he was the odd man out, the one who never seemed to give a damn if it didn't benefit him.

It was that other 10% that had Felicity puzzled - why it never showed itself more. Oliver was brooding, serious, and never let anyone forget that he was a tortured soul, prepared to lay his life down at any minute. It was borderline soap opera.

On the flip side, Tony was laughable, joking, and always using humor to disable any situation.

Both men had faced a crucible, both men were heroes in their own right, but Tony was not the man Felicity had believed him to be twenty-four hours ago.

In short, Tony may have been smarter and more tech savvy, but in the end he was no Oliver Queen.

Finally Felicity nodded. "I'm in."

Tony clapped his hands. "Brilliant."

"With that resolved," Oliver added, "we have a deal. Between our two companies."

"A wise move," Tony said, shaking Oliver's outstretched hand like an eager child. "You won't regret it."

"I already do."

Tony only laughed as he ushered his guests into the mansion. "I'm quite surprised that you all managed to take out so many men with just a bow and arrow. I don't think even Legolas could even take out that many men."

"I'm not alone for one." Oliver said, nodding to Diggle and Felicity. "And I have a few trick arrows."

Felicity smiled, staring at Oliver as she spoke. "It's not always about having the latest technology."

Tony looked thoughtful. "Good point..."

"I'm glad to see you all back." Pepper said with a broad smile on her face. "I was worried that Tony pushed you too far."

"When we're pushed, we shove." Oliver replied.

Pepper shook her head. "It must be a superhero thing."

"Constantly looking for a fight?" Felicity asked. "Oh no. That's just be an immature, ill-developed male thing."

Pepper smiled. "That's definitely it."

"Hey! These 'immature, ill-developed males' have ears and are standing right here." Tony said.

"Well, while you're using those ears of yours, you need to go and set the table." Pepper ordered.

"Why can't Oliver do it?" Tony whined.

"Because he's our guest." Pepper stated. "Now get to it!"

Tony slunk into the kitchen, muttering something about building another AI to set the table for him.

As the others moved to the dinner table, Oliver pulled Felicity close, pressing a kiss onto her forehead.

Felicity laughed, sighing in content. "What was that for?"

"It's because a group of scared, terrified women are going home tonight because of you. They never would have been found if you hadn't pushed so hard to help them." Oliver whispered lovingly. "I need a reason to kiss my outrageously attractive girlfriend?"

"We aren't really big into the whole PDA thing. Mostly because once we start we have a hard time stopping. And then there's usually the paparazzi surrounding us. And the fact that Thea somehow always manages to interrupt us during the most sacred and uninterruptable moments. Even Diggle that one time. The next thing you know Barry or Laurel's going to walk in and then our lives will officially end and-"

Oliver stopped the rant with another kiss, this time on the lips.

"I really need to ramble more." Felicity moaned, deepening the kiss.

"The pizza's done!" Tony called.

"Pizza's got nothing on dessert." Oliver muttered.

Felicity shivered at the prospect before pulling away. "Mm, nope. This isn't our place. And we have three people wondering where we are right now."

"Let them wonder."

"Later." Felicity said, pulling a groaning Oliver back to the dining room.

"I'd like to make a toast." Pepper said, handing everyone a glass of wine. "To new friends."

"And partnership." Tony added with a wink. "It'll be great working with you. Next time I promise I'll be more cooperative."

Diggle raised an eyebrow. "Next time?"

"Yeah." Tony said, swirling around his wine. "Pepper and I have always wanted to see Starling."

Oliver choked on his drink, causing Felicity to pat his back. "What?"

* * *

**Sorry again for the long update- admittedly, I forgot about this story until a few months ago. I felt like the ending was a bit off, but I wasn't sure how to end it. Hope you enjoy and maybe offer a review? **

**If I get ten asking for a one-shot sequel, I suppose that can be arranged. ;)**


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